[snipenekkid]

I remember when the first posts about the whole iOS apps and subscription tithe to Apple came to light. I mentioned it was likely more of a proactive attempt to stem stores like Amazon as well as B&N from selling other content that directly competes with Apple's iTunes on Apple's own branded hardware. When apps were only looking at ebooks I don't think Apple cared, then things got interesting.

I loved the article in the OP but more interesting were the comments. Oh, it's the usual fans on both asides of the skirmish line. But what is interesting is what none of them seem to understand, Amazon already sells movies, movie rentals as well as MP3's and print subscriptions like magazines and other periodicals. Meaning all Amazon needs is that Android App Store to equal, or maybe exceed Apple (only because of the Kindle Store) in the entire content arena. Then if Amazon offers a better deal to developers within their apps store then game-on.

The other thing none of those commenting mention is it's not as if Amazon has been sitting back and doing nothing while Apple grabbed an early lead in this one area. Amazon already has it's ducks in a row on content as above but also they had bought the touch panel tech company last year, 2010. I have mentioned before, Amazon did not make that purchase to let it rot on the vine. It's coming to a product soon, odds are this year.

I welcome it because I actually love Apple's small devices and though I am lukewarm on the iPad it's only because the that freaking Retina display on the Touch is beyond fantastic. So I decided to wait on an iPad as I felt they could do better on the display for the gawds awful price for a device that is basically still a late release beta grade device. iPad 3 should be a fully mature device though. So that is the device the competition should target.

I figure we will see the first gen of Amazon media devices be focused on Amazon Prime users, maybe even bundled with a K3. Amazon has an ready to roll OS in Android 3.x designed for tablets so they only need to maintain whatever custom wrapper they add to that platform. Big bunch of overhead there for the asking compared to Apple building theirs from ground zero. Some trade-offs for Amazon for sure but nothing to turn the device into a loser.

I just sense Amazon has been on top of this for a couple years now and we'll see something very nice late in 2011, say October or November. I also think we'll see a large format touch screen DX near the end of summer in time for college students.

Basically I love this level of speculation and potential competition. I expect we will certainly be underwhelmed with all of the devices as there seems to be a lot of "play it safe" in the slate device market. I just don't sense any will be worse than the iOS devices.

And oh yeah, by hitching their wagon to Android over iOS, Amazon is also leveraging all the device makers who simply do not have the retail store to add value to the devices so there might well be some co-branding or even re-branded slate devices sold under the Amazon flag not unlike what is currently done with CellCo's.

The latter portion of this year will be fun I suspect.